Tired of endless days on the golf course?
Looking for that next big challenge?

Team Management International is proud to offer six lucky individuals the opportunity to experience the ultimate red-letter day!

With the best part of a year before taking the field on Saturday the 16th August as a curtain raiser to the Festival Cup itself don't let fitness or horsemanship worries put you off.  Believe us when we say that we've recruited the best in the business to look after these details.  Our ideal candidates will share three essential ingredients – grit, determination and the will to win!  Male or female success must be second nature.

Those who suggest that this is simply 'faking it' are badly mistaken, we don't plan to just let a group of people loose on Polo ponies easily the equestrian equivalent of formula one racing cars.  When our six take to the arena in August in front of a capacity crowd there will be a great deal at stake.

All interested parties are invited to attend a meeting at the Gleneagles Equestrian Centre on Wednesday 2nd April to discuss the project in more detail.  For those who still believe they have what it takes it's onwards to selection and a distinguished panel awaits you including former Scottish Rugby Captain Andy Nicol and present Scottish Polo Captain Alasdair Archibald.  Our final six will be named at the end of April and from there the real hard work begins, the effort required will be great but so will the rewards.

If you wish to attend Wednesday's meeting, please contact us now at: jl@teammanagement.org.uk

Please ensure you include a contact telephone number within your email.

Polo, the sport of Kings, combines pace, power and passion with unsurpassed skill and accuracy and the Festival Cup provides the ultimate stage.  Don't leave yourself asking 'Could I have made the cut'?

You'll never know the answer unless you're willing to throw your hat in the ring.

Pro-Am Biogs

Tom Macdonald I'm 46 years old and have spent the majority of my career within the financial services industry, running my own practice. Since selling my business three years ago I have become involved in the property market both as a landlord and a developer. I've got five children all boys ranging from 23 years old down to 5, all of them sport fanatics! In my younger years I've been very involved in a number of sports including football, badminton and skiing but this is my first foray in the world of horses. My main reason for deciding to take on such a challenge was primarily because age and injury had curtailed many of my sporting endeavours and a mixture of boredom and loss of fitness persuaded me to take the plunge and learn to play polo from scratch. I felt I needed something totally different to get my teeth into and in keeping with my search for adrenaline I believed that polo was the perfect sport for the man who has never ridden and is allergic to all animals! The riding is progressing well and my fitness levels are returning but most of all I'm looking forward to taking to the arena on the 16th and competing to the best of my ability.

Stacy Maclaren I am 23 years old and work as a service manager in NHS Forth Valley.  My work involves supporting the clinical team in areas such as streamlining patient pathways and achieving Government targets.  I love my job and hope that my work helps the clinical staff provide the best possible care to patients. I have ridden most of my life, representing Scotland and Great Britain at Pony Club level.  I loved competing, but upon starting university, I sold my horse and tried to concentrate on studying!  I saw this challenge advertised in the newspaper and immediately jumped at the chance to take part.  What really motivated me was the physical challenge involved and, of course, the chance to compete again.  I have always wanted to try polo but didn't really know where to start. Although I have ridden extensively I am learning that riding a polo pony, the equivalent of a Formula 1 racing car, is far from straightforward, let alone hitting a ball at the same time! I am so excited about this challenge and can promise that come August 16th I will ride out with the determination to win and to give it my all.  I believe Luke and I combine to form a potent mix of ambition, competitive spirit and pride that must surely be a winning combination.

Fiona Fummey I am a 42 year old paediatric physiotherapist from Blackford, I have two smashing kids, Zack (15) and Zoe(12). My husband, Bruce Fummey, is the founder of Just Laugh comedy club and my main sponsor I just hope I don't do anything in the game to give him comedy material! I came late to riding and only bought my first horse at the age of 37 and learning to play polo has required a huge leap for my riding skills. I knew nothing about the game when I put my name forward as a candidate and I have loved every minute. I'm not a particulary sporty person so I have had to push really hard to do the fitness training but I feel fantastic for it. Polo is normally played at a fast rate so watch out those folks at the arena seats it may get very up close and personal but I hope we can put on an exciting game for everyone. I am the only one in the Pro-am game from Perthshire so I am hoping for a partisan crowd to wish me luck.

Luke Aherne I am 37 years old and I work as a Project Manager for The Richmond Fellowship Scotland. This is Scotland's largest provider of care services and together we help over 2,000 people suffering from a variety of mental health issues to lead a better, more independent and more enjoyable life. On the whole, I have had a relatively easy, perhaps even a charmed life. Despite this, when I decide to do things, I like to do them well and this challenge was a way to find out what I can achieve when I really push myself. I was attracted to this challenge precisely because it was hard and precisely because it would take me out of the extensive comfort zone that I have developed for myself on a variety of levels. Firstly, there is the discipline required to maintain two-hour sessions at the gym three times a week. Then there is the commitment required to learn to ride and play polo to the required standard when I had only previously been on a horse five times in my life. Finally, there is the focus required to remember why you have chosen to put yourself through all this; the goal of performing in a high-quality event in front of a small crowd of 1,000 people including my friends, family and other supportive enthusiasts. All in all, this is a journey for me – a journey that is taking me from a sporting zero to a (possible/probable/potential) polo hero in four short months. I hope that you enjoy the ride as much I intend to."